Harlan County, Kentucky

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Harlan County Courthouse
Harlan County Courthouse
administration
US state : Kentucky
Administrative headquarters : Harlan
Address of the
administrative headquarters: 		County Courthouse
P.O. Box 670
Harlan, KY 40831-0670
Foundation : January 28, 1819
Made up from: Floyd County
Knox County
Area code : 001 606
Demographics
Residents : 29,278  (2010)
Population density : 24.2 inhabitants / km 2
geography
Total area : 1212 km²
Water surface : 2 km²
map
Map of Harlan County within Kentucky

Harlan County is a county in the state of Kentucky in the United States . Founded in 1819, it is located in the southeast corner of Kentucky on the state line with Virginia and is part of the coal mining district in the eastern part of the state. The county seat is the small town of Harlan in the western half of the county .

geography

The county is located in southeast Kentucky, borders the state of Virginia and has an area of ​​1,212 square kilometers, of which two square kilometers are water. In Kentucky, it is bordered clockwise by the following counties: Perry County , Letcher County , Bell County, and Leslie Counties . Neighboring counties in Virginia are Wise County (to the east) and Lee County to the southeast . Distance to Lexington , Kentucky is the second largest city, about 160 kilometers.

Black Mountain (background). Foreground: the nearby Pine Mountain

Harlan County is geographically determined by its location in the Cumberland Mountains , a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Appalachian Mountains . The district is criss-crossed by four mountain ridges from west to east: Pine Mountain , Black Mountain , Little Black Mountain and Stone Mountain. The ridge of Black Mountain, located in the southeast corner of the county near the village of Lynch, reaches a top height of 1263 m, making it the highest mountain in Kentucky. In terms of development, the area is considered problematic due to the narrow valley floors; the towns in the county are all built into the valley floor. The average altitude of the villages rises slightly from west to east and is between 300 and 500 meters above sea level.

The most important river is the Cumberland River . It rises in neighboring Bell County and flows through the northern half of Harlan County from east to west. Largest tributaries - and after the Cumberland River the most important rivers - are the Martin Fork and the Clover Fork. They unite in the urban area of ​​the district capital Harlan and flow directly north of it into the Cumberland River.

The most important inter-regional connecting roads are the two US federal highways Route 421 and Route 119 . The former runs through the county from north to south, the latter from east to west. Locally significant connecting roads are also the Kentucky Road 38 , which runs centrally through the county in a west-east direction, and the Kentucky Road 160 , which runs from Cumberland to the south-east towards Virginia . The most important towns in the county are the small towns of Harlan (also the county seat), Benham , Cumberland, Evarts , Loyall and Lynch . Other locations listed in alphabetical order are: Ages, Baxter, Bledsoe, Brookside, Cawood, Clospint, Coldrion, Cranks, Dayhoit, Elcomb, Fresh Meadows, Grays Knob, Gulston, Highsplint, Holmes Mill, Kenvir, Pathfork, Putney, Pine Mountain, Rosspoint, South Wallins, Smith, Tacky Town, Teetersville, Totz, Wallins Creek and Verda.

From a climatic point of view, Harlan County lies in the east side climatic zone - a variant of the subtropical climatic zone, which characterizes the US east coast as well as the South Atlantic areas of South America , parts of northern Italy , the east of Australia and central China . The climate in Harlan County is determined accordingly by warm, humid summers and mild to cold winters.

history

Until the 20th century

Before and at the beginning of the settlement by English (later: US-American) settlers, the area belonged to the catchment area of ​​various Indian tribal groups - the Shawnee , who had their territories on both sides of the Ohio , the Cherokee and Chickasaw , whose headquarters were further south, the Delawaren and the Wyandot, a subgroup of the Iroquois . First explorations of the area were carried out by hunters and land prospectors. A more systematic settlement began in the 1780s. The carriers were predominantly English , Scottish and Irish settlers from Virginia, who in the 18th century moved over the Appalachians in ever larger numbers and settled west of the mountains.

Important founders of settlements in the region were Carr Bailey, Samuel Howard and William Turner, co-founder of the later administrative seat of Mt. Pleasant (renamed Harlan in 1912). The county was formed on January 28, 1819 from parts of Floyd County and Knox County . It was named after Major Silas Harlan, another early settler who died near the Ohio River in the Battle of Blue Licks, one of the final battles of the American Revolutionary War in 1782 . The standard of living was characterized by subsistence farming until the second half of the 19th century . Due to the inaccessible and remote location, the county's population remained low. In 1820 it was just under 2,000 inhabitants, in 1850 a little more than 4,000 and in 1880 just over the 5,000 limit.

Borderline during the Civil War: Eastern Kentucky was temporarily under the control of Confederate forces

During the Civil War , the county - like other areas of southeastern Kentucky - came under the aegis of Confederate troops for a time. A more famous battle took place in 1861 near the small town of Barbourville in Knox County to the north, after which the Confederates were able to consolidate their temporary sovereignty over the region. In 1863, Confederate guerrilla groups burned the city administration building in retaliation for a similar act in Lee County, Virginia. In the decades following the Civil War, the county was the site of a long-running family feud. The main actors were members of the two founding clans Turner and Howard. Similar to the well-known feud between the Hatfields and McCoys on the border with West Virginia , this one was triggered by petty disputes, cost several people their lives during its course and could ultimately only be settled through massive government intervention. The book author Malcolm Gladwell , who investigated the case, attributed the persistent and dogged form of this dispute to a "culture of honor" that characterizes the people in the western Appalachian regions and whose foothills can still be seen today.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and others on a Harlan County Railroad, 1908

In the second half of the 19th century, the agricultural use of the area was increasingly intensified. Products marketed included walnuts , cherries and wood . The Kentenia State Forest , north of the Cumberland River, was established in 1913 as the administrative area's first nature reserve . It was connected to the rail network at the end of the 19th century. Branch lines of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad such as the Wasioto & Black Mountain Railroad , completed in 1911, ensured better integration of the county into the surrounding greater region. The first coal removal by rail took place on August 25, 1911. Due to the rail connection, coal mining expanded massively. The amount of mining increased from 25,814 tons in 1910 to 384,427 tons two years later, 1.4 million tons in 1914 to 15 million tons in the late 1920s.

20th and 21st centuries

As a result of coal mining , which began on a massive scale after the First World War and soon became the main economic factor, the county's population increased sevenfold - from a little over 10,000 in 1910 to over 75,000 in 1940. The newcomers were in smaller numbers, blacks and Eastern European immigrants ; the majority, however, were newcomers from the neighboring regions. The working and living conditions in the newly created coal mining area were characterized by poverty , insecurity and crime . The miners' settlements - so-called "Company Towns" - were often built ad hoc by the mining companies. In contrast to the independent towns in the county such as Harlan or Lynch, in which the direct dependency relationship was not so pronounced, the residents there had no say in the community or with regard to working or housing conditions and were in almost every respect the goodwill of their employers dependent.

The mining town of Evarts 1946

The murder rate of Harlan County was the highest of the nation in the 1920s. During the prohibition era, the so-called Thunder Road - a route that started in Harlan and led to Knoxville in Tennessee - became the route of transport for illegal distillers . In the course of the global economic crisis, a third of the coal mines closed by 1931. The average annual miner's wages fell from $ 1235 to $ 749 between 1929 and 1931. The hardship of the working population and hunger - especially among children - was so great that the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), established by Quakers, organized child meals in the boroughs.

After the mining companies reduced wages by another 10 percent in 1931, a bloody conflict that lasted for years broke out - the so-called Harlan County War . Issues were the miners' right to unionize, higher wages and better working conditions. At the height of the strike , 5,800 miners took part , only 900 continued to work. A high point of the dispute was the Battle of Evarts on May 5, 1931, in the course of which four people were killed. In total, the conflict lasted around eight years, from 1931 to 1939. During its course, state police associations (including units of the National Guard ) invaded the county several times. The clashes - which cemented the county's reputation as "Bloody Harlan", as "Bloody Harlan" - ended up killing eleven people; hundreds were injured.

The documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple (2015)

Despite massive intervention by local and state authorities in favor of the mining companies, the dispute ended with the workers being represented by a union in most coalfields . Another long-running miners' strike, starting at the Brookside mine near the district capital of Harlan, took place in the 1970s. The demands of the employees: the right to strike, higher wages and improved work safety. The confrontation - which this time was also marked by violent attacks on pickets, union leaders and bystanders - was documented in the award-winning documentary Harlan County, USA by Barbara Kopple , who spent almost two years on location with her film team.

Coal mining remained a determining economic factor for the county even after a temporary decline in the 1950s and 1960s. From the 1980s, however, massive mining began - combined with mechanization and an increasing switch to the technology of surface mining. This went hand in hand with a decline in the population - from over 41,000 in 1980 to under 30,000 in 2010. An additional problem arose from the meandering courses of the Cumberland River and other rivers, which led to several severe floods - the most severe in 1963 and 1977. For better protection against floods , the Martins Fork Dam was built in the 1970s and diversion projects were initiated in the district capital Harlan.

Demographic data

growth of population
Census Residents ± in%
1820 1961 -
1830 2929 49.4%
1840 3015 2.9%
1850 4268 41.6%
1860 5494 28.7%
1870 4415 -19.6%
1880 5278 19.5%
1890 6197 17.4%
1900 9838 58.8%
1910 10,566 7.4%
1920 31,546 198.6%
1930 64,557 104.6%
1940 75,275 16.6%
1950 71,751 -4.7%
1960 51,107 -28.8%
1970 37,370 -26.9%
1980 41,889 12.1%
1990 36,574 -12.7%
2000 33.202 -9.2%
2010 29,278 -11.8%
Harlan County's age pyramid (as of 2000)
Harlan, county capital (2015)

After the census of 2000, the United States Census Bureau, 33,202 people in 13,291 households and 9,449 families residing in Harlan County. The population density was 27 people per square kilometer. The racial the population was composed of 95.56 percent white, 2.62 percent African American , 0.48 percent Native American, 0.29 percent Asian , 0.02 percent of residents from the Pacific island area and 0.08 percent from other ethnic groups Groups; 0.95 percent were descended from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race was 0.65 percent of the population .

Of the 13,291 households, 32.2 percent had children and young people under the age of 18 living with them. 54.3 percent were married couples living together, 13.2 percent were single mothers, 28.9 percent were non- families , 27.0 percent were single households and 12.6 percent had people aged 65 years or over. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.00 people.

For the entire county, the population was composed of 25.0 percent of residents under 18 years of age, 8.5 percent between 18 and 24 years of age, 27.5 percent between 25 and 44 years of age, 25.2 percent between 45 and 64 years of age 13.9 percent were 65 years of age or over. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 women 18 years of age or older, there were statistically 87.8 men .

The median income for a household in the county is $ 18,665 , and the median income for a family is $ 23,536. Males had a median income of $ 29,148 versus $ 19,288 for females. The per capita income was $ 11,585. 29.1 percent of families and 32.5 percent of the population were below the poverty line. Of these, 40.1 percent were children or adolescents under 18 years of age and 21.0 percent were people over 65 years of age.

The Kentucky 05 constituency, which also includes Harlan County, is considered the poorest constituency in the United States. According to a Gallup study, Kentucky 05 has the worst quality of life of any 434 Congressional constituency. Only one in ten residents has a college degree, and one in three is considered poor. Harlan County's poverty rate is 32.5%, one of the highest in East Kentucky. The median annual income in Leslie, Harlan, and Martin counties is $ 26,000, half that of the rest of the United States.

politics

Hal Rogers, Kentucky 05 constituency representative to the House of Representatives

In presidential elections, Harlan County was a Democratic stronghold for several decades . With the exception of the landslide-like re-election of the Republican Richard Nixon in 1972 against the Democrat George McGovern , the majority of the electorate has voted democratically since 1960. When George W. Bush ran for the second time in 2004, this trend changed: Bush received 60.2% of the vote. In 2008, the migration towards the Republican candidates continued: While John McCain received 72.3% of the vote, Barack Obama was only able to attract 26.1% of the vote. In 2012 the result was even more in favor of the Republicans: Mitt Romney won against Obama with 81.2% to 17.2%.

The Kentucky 05 constituency, which includes Harlan County and other counties in the Appalachian region of southeast Kentucky, is also represented in the House by a Republican - MP Hal Rogers . Rogers has represented the constituency there without interruption since 1983. Roger's predecessor, Tim Lee Carter , was also a member of the Republican Party.

Regardless of the Republican dominance in the elections described, the number of members of the Democratic Party in the district is higher than that of the Republicans. One reason for Barack Obama's poor reputation is that, in the eyes of many voters, his administration's lack of commitment to the coal industry in the region. Many voters, according to a report in the Süddeutsche Zeitung , blame Obama for their decline. The dispute is reinforced by the Republicans' accusation that the Obama administration is neglecting coal mining in favor of an energy policy that is unilaterally geared towards climate goals .

Economy

A former mining district, Harlan County has been hit hard by the decline in coal mining. The total number of workers in the East Kentucky mines has steadily declined since the middle of the last century. In Harlan County it fell from 13,619 to 2,433 from 1950 to 1965. After a slight increase due to the oil embargo in the 1970s, it stood at 1,780 in 2009. The total number of employees in the East Kentucky mines was 8,000 in the mid-2010s.

One of the reasons for the economic decline is the quality of the coal deposits on the western edge of the Appalachian Mountains. Unlike the one mined in the western part of the state, it is more heavily contaminated with rock segments and has a lower sulfur content . The remaining mining companies have meanwhile become more versed in surface mining. Residents and authorities are now defending themselves against the associated blasting techniques - for example in the region around Lynch. Reason: The surface mining harms both tourism and the historically evolved landscape.

According to the president of the Harlan Chamber of Commerce, the region has two economic potentials: agriculture and tourism . The county is currently also experiencing the brain drain . An article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung in 2015 classified the infrastructure of the district as in need of great improvement: what is missing is, among other things, stable cell phone and internet connections . In addition, the food supply is also lacking in quality. According to experts, it is so serious that Harlan County can be described as a “food desert” .

education

There are three high schools in the county : Cumberland High School in Cumberland, Evarts High School in Evarts and James A. Cawood High School in Harlan. In addition added eight K-8 - Elementary Schools (Black Mountain, Cawood, Cumberland, Evarts, Greenhills, James A. Cawood, Ross Point and Wallin). Independent of these facilities, the district capital maintains a high school, a middle school and an elementary school. The two K-12 institutions Harlan County Christian School and Victory Road Christian Academy are under private aegis .

The only higher education institution is the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Cumberland - an offshoot of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System .

Attractions

Martin's Fork Lake
Harlan Poke Sallet (2016)

The county's tourist attractions are primarily scenic. Another focus is the historical past as a mining region. The sights in detail:

  • the Black Mountain Off-Road Adventure Area: a 28 square kilometer nature reserve with hiking and biking trails around the Black Mountain region.
  • of Kingdom Come State Park: an entertaining from the state of Kentucky National Park in the Pine Mountains near Cumberland.
  • the Cranks Creek Lake: a 1,963-made lake near the village of Cawood on the border with Virginia.
  • the Martins Fork Lake: an immediately adjacent the Cranks Creek Lake situated reservoir.
  • the Pine Mountain Settlement School near the Kentenia State Forest: a reform school founded by educator Katherine Pettit , which is dedicated to the cultural education of local youth. Due to its historical significance, it has had the status of a National Historic Landmark since December 4, 1991 .
  • the Kentucky Coal Museum: The Benham-based museum opened in 1990. The thematic focus is the mining culture in the region. The facility also offers excursions to Portal 31, which is located near the mining town of Lynch.
  • Mine Portal 31: A disused mine shaft that is now open for sightseeing excursions.
  • the Poke Sallet Festival in Harlan: a music and town festival , which takes place annually (usually in the month of June takes place) in Harlan.

A total of five buildings and sites in the county are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (as of October 2, 2017).

Culture

A traditional cultural institution in the county is the Harlan Boys Choir (nickname: "The Singing Sons of Appalachia"), a boys' choir maintained by the Harlan Independent District . The choir, which became part of the school curriculum in 1972, has performed in and outside the United States and was part of the musical program during the inauguration of President George Bush in 1989 .

Elmore Leonard (2011)

In literary terms, the Raylan series of novels by the thriller writer Elmore Leonard and his short story Fire in the Hole (translated: explosion in the shaft) set a monument to the county . The latter also provided the initial scenario for the successful TV series Justified . The series, whose action takes place predominantly in Harlan County, made this known to a wider audience. In the meantime, according to some media reports, their success has triggered a specific, series-related form of tourism. The series would be rated differently by the residents of the county itself. On the one hand, many considered the picture drawn by the series to be exaggerated and inaccurate. Others, however, welcomed the interest the series generated.

The county and its history was also set in other fictional and documentary formats:

Darrell Scott (2011)

The county was also addressed in some folk and country songs. The most well-known are:

Harlan County celebrities

Web links

Commons : Harlan County (Kentucky)  - Collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Harlan County . Basic data in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS); accessed on June 21, 2016
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Thomas D. Clark (Ed.): The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky, Lexington 2006, pp. 408/409. Excerpts from Google Books online .
  3. ↑ Harlan County / Topography . University of Kentucky, accessed June 21, 2016
  4. ↑ Malcolm Gladwell: High Flyer. Why some people are successful - and others are not. Campus Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2009, ISBN 978-3-492258-19-7 , excerpts online from Google Books
  5. ↑ a b c d 100 years of coal mining in Harlan County . Bill Estep, Lexington Herald Leader, Aug 21, 2011
  6. ^ Destination Harlan KY - The Start of Thunder Road . Mary Nicholas Johnson, sharpschapelliving.com, October 10, 2015
  7. ↑ Quakers and Bloody Harlan . Dave Tabler, Appalachian History, April 4, 2016
  8. ↑ see John W. Henever: Which Side Are You On? The Harlan County Coal Miners, 1931-39. University of Illinois, Champaign 2002, ISBN 978-0-252070-77-8 ; excerpts online at Google Books (Engl.)
  9. ↑ Bloody Harlan: The Enduring Strike . American Labor Crises, Barbara L. Pittman, September 14, 2012
  10. ↑ Harlan County USA , Archive of Reviews from Frauenfilmfestival.eu, accessed June 21, 2016
  11. ↑ according to the census information of the American census authorities, available as data sheets on Census of Population and Housing . Accessed June 21, 2016 (PDF)
  12. ^ Harlan County, Kentucky . 2000 census data from the United States Census Bureau at factfinder.census.gov. Accessed June 21, 2016
  13. ↑ a b c Kentucky's Buddy and Climate Change . Matthias Kob, Süddeutsche Zeitung, December 1, 2015
  14. ↑ a b Two Kinds of “Wars”: Kentucky and Poverty . Beat Ammann, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, February 1, 2014
  15. ↑ Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: Kentucky . National Park Service , accessed October 2, 2017.
  16. ↑ a b c In the footsteps of "Justified": More buddies than gangsters . Denis Krick, Spiegel Online, April 26, 2013
  17. ↑ Info website for the Poke Sallet Festival , accessed on June 21, 2016
  18. ↑ Search mask database in the National Register Information System. National Park Service , accessed October 2, 2017.

Coordinates: 36 ° 52 ′  N , 83 ° 13 ′  W